Terana
by Longneck 626
Summary: There is another hybrid on the horizon...


Land Before Time is © Universal.

**Terana**

By Longneck 626

It was near the end of the season, and Petrie and Ducky were more excited then they'd ever been in their lives. Their current situation was probably the most unique one that the swimmers and the flyers had ever faced.

It was several years after they had first found their way to the valley. Having recently passed their respective adulthood trials, they had started seeing other members of their herds in the hopes of finding a suitable mate. However, none of the potential suitors seemed to measure up. Most of the prospective mates seemed okay, but they all seemed to want to be with Ducky and Petrie because of all the praise they had earned from their previous exploits, rather than being with them just to be with them. It got so that almost every potential mate just wanted to hear their stories, rather than trying to get to know them as individuals.

One night, after a particularly bad courtship ritual, Ducky found herself wandering towards flyers cliff, just to get away from her herd for a little while. Unbeknownst to her, Petrie was actually coming in the same direction for the same reason. They met up near a small stream, quite by accident. They got to talking and found that, despite the passage of time, they still had quite a lot in common. Before the meeting was over, Petrie decided to do something very bold and asked Ducky out on a courtship ritual. He regretted it immediately, thinking that he didn't have the right to ask Ducky out, due to his not being a swimmer. He was surprised, however, when Ducky accepted without a moment's hesitation.

The courtship ritual went off without a hitch. Petrie showed up at swimmers marsh early, and was very respectful to the other members of the herd. It seemed a bit odd to them that a flyer wanted to see a swimmer, but they figured that nothing would come of it. They couldn't have been more wrong. Halfway through their first ritual, Ducky, on a whim, decided to do something bold herself and gave Petrie a long kiss. She instantly felt ashamed. She felt that she had taken too big a liberty with her long-time friend. She was surprised, however, when Petrie reciprocated the kiss after a few seconds. It was then that they realized that they'd found their perfect mate in each other.

It was not until the end of the season, however, that they encountered the first real obstacle in their relationship. They had been seeing each other constantly during the warm time, but it was only recently that they felt brave or foolhardy enough to approach their families to seek permission to join in union. Mr. and Mrs. Swimmer, having heard about the recent drama with the longneck and threehorn herds, didn't give a second thought before agreeing to it. Petrie's mother, however, was a little more resistant to the idea. She was worried that, because they were two different types of dinosaur, the relationship wouldn't work out, and it would end up costing both of them their happiness. Out of respect for all they had done for the valley, Mrs. Flyer allowed them to present their arguments. While she partially agreed with them, she still felt a little indecisive about the whole thing. She understood that this issue needed to be thought over very carefully, without any outside distractions.

"Please, just give me a little time." she said, indicating that she wanted to be alone. Respecting her wishes, they slowly moved off towards a nearby grove of trees.

It was only after she was alone that Mrs. Flyer realized she was facing a real dilemma. On the one hand, her son had found himself a good mate. On the other hand, she was not a member of the herd. Sure, the two of them had grown up together, but it was because of this that she feared what will happen if the relationship didn't last. Unable to reconcile herself to the union, she was just about to give up and tell them that she wouldn't allow it when she looked over and saw Ducky and Petrie, far off in the distance. They were just laying around and talking, but from what she was able to see, they seemed to be closer than she'd ever expected. Seeing this, she was suddenly hit with a memory from when she was courting her mate.

_It was close to her first courtship ritual, and she was feeling very nervous. Her mind kept throwing up random thoughts. What would this flyer be like? Would he be a good potential mate? What should I look for? She was so nervous that she didn't think she could go through with it. Just as she was about to go and stop the ritual, she saw her brother Pterano come over and indicate for her to join him. Back then, the two of them were probably the closest brother and sister in the whole herd. Without thinking about it, she went over and laid down beside him. He knew something was up with her the moment he saw her face._

"_Something seems to be troubling you." he commented._

"_It's nothing." she replied. She must not have been very convincing, however, for he then stated "I can see it's more than nothing." _

_Realizing that he would figure it out anyway, she turned to him and said "I don't think I can go through with this."_

"_Go through with what?" he asked._

"_My courtship ritual. I'm just scared of what's going to happen. I just don't feel like I'm ready for a mate."_

_Pterano took a few moments to collect his thoughts before he started. "It's a big thing, your first courtship ritual. It can unnerve even the bravest flyer. But you got to remember that it's a part of growing up. Sure, it's a big step, but it's one that every flyer goes through. And every flyer I've ever talked to say that they enjoyed it once it started."_

_Seeing the continued concern in her face, Pterano reached over and plucked a leaf off a nearby bush. He offered it to her before he continued._

"_And besides, no one says that you have to become mates with the first one you have a courtship ritual with. So, if it doesn't work, you can just pick yourself up and get back out there."_

_As he finished speaking, he saw a noticeable change in his sister's face. She seemed to be a little calmer than she'd been a few moments ago._

"_Thank you, Pterano." she said. Her voice seemed to be a lot stronger now._

"_Any time, Ara." he replied. Seeing that she was going to be alright, he got up and moved into the take-off position._

"_Wait." she called._

"_Yes?"_

"_I just thought of something."_

_Hearing this, Pterano got out of the take-off position and laid back down beside her before she continued._

"_Is it alright if I ask you a personal question?"_

"_Of course."_

_Hearing that it was alright, she asked "What do you thing a mate should be like?"_

_This question actually caught Pterano off-guard. It took him a moment before he was able to respond._

"_You'd probably think it's silly." he responded._

"_I won't. Please tell me."_

"_Well" he said, a bit sheepishly. "I believe that finding a mate is the same as finding a true friend. You don't know when it'll happen, but when it does, you always feel warm inside every time you see them. It's someone you'd want to be with you through thick and thin, someone who'll never intentionally hurt you. Do you get what I'm saying?'_

"_I think so. You think that a good mate is the same as a good friend."_

_Seeing that she understood him, Pterano got up and gave her a hug before he resumed the take-off position. He gave a couple of flaps and rose up into the sky. He looked back and smiled at her before he headed off in the direction of a nearby river. After watching her brother until he disappeared from view, Ara looked over and saw the potential mate coming over to see if she was ready. Taking Pterano's advice to heart, she got up and indicated that she was ready for the ritual. She was happy that she went through with it, for the flyer would turn out to be the perfect mate for her._

As the flashback was winding down, she was also struck with innumerable memories of all the good and bad times she had had with her mate. As the memories finished up in her mind, she looked down and issued a single tear. Her old mate had been a great parent to all their hatchlings and a wonderful flyer to the whole herd. He had unfortunately met his end facing off against the monster sharptooth just before the herds managed to reach the great valley all those years ago. He never even knew that she was going to have another clutch. Her hatchlings were too young to remember him, but she would never forget. Looking again at Petrie and Ducky, she saw a reflection of how she and her mate had felt for each other. It was then that she realized what her decision would be….

It was late evening when Petrie and Ducky were called back to flyers cliff to hear how his mother had decided. Mrs. Flyer waited until they were right at the base of the cliff before she swooped down and landed near them. After straightening herself into a more comfortable position, she looked directly at them and started speaking.

"Before I tell you two my decision, I just want to say one thing."

Hearing this, Ducky and Petrie started to feel a lump in their throats. There's no way that this could be good, right?

"Long ago, when I was starting my courtship with your father, your uncle Pterano gave me a really good piece of advice. He said that a mate should be someone you'd want as your best friend. And from what I've seen of you two growing up, you two will always be the best of friends."

This statement brought a little shock to their faces, but it was nothing compared to what she said next.

"So, Ducky, Petrie, I consent to your union."

When she heard this, Ducky felt more joy than she'd ever felt before. Petrie, for his part, was on the verge of fainting at this wonderful news. He was taken by surprise when Ducky scooped him up in a tight embrace, but only for a second. He reciprocated by embracing her as well, before they looked into each other's eyes and sank into a deep kiss.

The union ceremony was the talk of the valley. While most of the residents wished them well, a few of them kept saying that they shouldn't be together, simply because of their species. Petrie and Ducky had expected a lot more complaints against their union, but it seemed that after Topsy had come around and performed his own daughter's union to Littlefoot, the opinion in the valley had slowly changed to a more embracing one. The only concern with the union now was the fact that it would probably never produce an egg. Petrie and Ducky's opinion on this was that if they couldn't have their own egg, there would always be a lost one that they could care for. Little did they know what would happen next.

It was several month later, and Ducky was just waiting for Petrie to get back to the caves so that she could tell him some very good news. She had been on a hike with her family to a far corner of the valley, during which time she had run into her old friend Cera. When they were heading back towards her parents' nest at the end of the day, she was lost in thought. She and Petrie had been trying for a while, but had yet to have an egg. She was just starting to think that they couldn't have one when she suddenly felt very sick. It went away after a moment, but it was enough that her mother caught it. Recognizing the symptom at once, her mother stopped the group and turned to Ducky.

"Ducky," she asked, "is everything alright with you?"

"What do you mean, mom?" Ducky replied.

"I'm just wondering how you and Petrie are getting along."

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"Well" she said. "I noticed that you seemed a little sick a moment ago. I just had a moment's thought that…"

"A moment's thought that…"

"A moment's thought that you might be starting to get a little heavy."

This phrase caught Ducky off guard. Why, just because she had felt sick for a few moments would her mother think she was gaining weight…

After a moment, she understood what her mother meant.

"I don't think I'm heavy. I'd like to be, oh yep yep yep, but we have been trying for a while, and it seems that swimmers and flyers may not be able to have an egg after all."

"I think you are." Her mother replied. "I've been heavy enough times to recognize the early signs."

When she heard this, Ducky felt a sense of hope fill her. Maybe they would be able to have a hatchling after all.

Looking at her again, her mother noticed something else. "Besides, I think your body is speaking for itself. I can see a little egg-bump."

Surprised by what her mother said, she slowly moved her hands across her mid-section. Sure enough, when she reached the center of her stomach, she felt a slight bump that hadn't been there before. This erased all her doubt. She was indeed heavy with an egg.

Later that night, she had a hard time getting to sleep. Normally, after a long walk, she would fall asleep as soon as she got to her nest. However, she was too excited at the news of their upcoming hatchling to sleep. Right now, she was just waiting for Petrie to get back from a late flight so that she could tell him. Time seemed to be moving at an agonizingly slow pace until she finally looked at the cave entrance and saw a flyer approach. Recognizing the flyer as Petrie, she got up and moved into a better talking position. Petrie, noticing this, landed and got into the same position.

"Hi Ducky. How are you?" he asked his mate.

"I am fine." she replied. A moment later, she got closer to him before saying "Petrie, there is something I have to tell you…"

"What that, Ducky?" he asked, wondering what was up with her. She normally didn't act like this unless there was big news.

Deciding to forego all pretenses, she leaned in close and whispered "I'm expecting".

A couple of seconds later, Petrie, in a fit of shock, yelled "You're what?" so loud that far away, in threehorn glade, Tricia woke up from a sound sleep, jumped up in surprise and looked around for danger. Ducky unfortunately misinterpreted his reaction. In a downcast voice, she asked "Petrie, what is wrong? I thought you'd be happy."

Seeing how his reaction had upset his mate, Petrie looked straight at her and said "Me sorry about me reaction to your news. Me was just surprised. Me never think it would actually happen. You sure it did?"

"Yes, Petrie, I am, I am." She responded, nodding her head in a very happy motion as she slowly moved her mate's arm down towards her midsection. And indeed, when his hand reached her middle, he felt the little bump that hadn't been there before. This convinced him more than anything that what they had been trying for was finally happening. They were going to have a hatchling….

_Some Time Later_

It was a few nights after his hatching, and Bambo could just not get back to sleep. He had felt tired when his parents brought him back to the nest, so he had fallen asleep right away. He had awoken a little while later, however. He had initially tried to get back to sleep, but every time he was close, he would hear something in the distance that would wake him up again. Eventually, he gave up on trying to get any more sleep. Getting up and looking around, he saw that his parents were deep asleep, which meant that no one was there to keep him in the nest. He decided to go explore a little bit. He was happy just moving around his sleeping area until he heard an intermittent thud. Had he looked up, he would've seen that it was just a regular old flyer, but the thought never occurred to him. After a second, he decided to follow the sound. Moving slowly, so as to not disturb his parents, he proceeded to carefully walk around their bodies until he was behind them. Once he was out of their line of sight, he started charging, following the odd sound. The volume of the thudding was waxing and waning intermittently, but he was able to keep up with it until it entered a big cave in the side of a mountain. Bambo only paused for a second before breaching the cave interior. He had, however, managed to lose the sound of the thud pretty quickly, due to the many voices the cave was reverberating. Pretty soon, he was starting to regret having come to this cave. Worse still, he had gotten turned around in the many passages, and couldn't get his bearings. After wandering around for what seemed like half the night, he stopped to pause for a moment on a high ledge, and managed to catch a lucky break. The night circle suddenly appeared in a hole in the roof of the cave, and it managed to illuminate the area to reveal that Bambo was on a ledge that had a view of the whole valley from another hole in the wall. He then realized which way he had to go, and started running in the direction of where his nest was. The bright circle was just starting to come up when he found an exit to the caves. He stopped running, however, when he glanced over and saw a nest with a swimmer and a flyer resting on either side of a depression in a small side chamber. After a couple of seconds, Bambo recognized the flyer as his uncle Petrie, so he decided to go over and see who the other big dinosaur was.

Petrie and Ducky were having a very good dream together. They were dreaming that they were kids again, and were enjoying a game of toss the seed with their old friends Chomper and Tricia. The dream was slowly changing, however. Every few seconds, Tricia would seem to fade and reform into another dinosaur before changing back into herself a second later. Eventually, the dream Tricia stopped in the middle of a round and started to come closer and closer, while at the same time, everything else started to become blurry. As she came closer, she formed into the other dinosaur, but this time she stayed that way. She came right up and started licking them. They then realized that the licks were not part of a dream, and that woke them up in a hurry. They sprang up in a defensive pose, looking for anything that would hurt them or their egg. After a few moments, they saw that there was no danger and got into a more relaxed pose. They then looked down in between them and saw the same little dinosaur from their dream. This gave Ducky quite a start.

"Who are you?" she asked after a second. She had not had the chance to see her friends' hatchling yet, due to both her and Petrie having to stay near the nest to watch over the egg. Petrie had only managed to see Bambo because Ducky wanted some special treestars that only grew in threehorn glade. For his part, Bambo could only reply with babble due to his youth.

"He Bambo." Petrie answered.

"You know him, Petrie?"

"Why sure. He Littlefoot and Cera's hatchling…"

As he was saying this, however, something occurred to him. Ducky caught on to it a few moments later. They looked around, but they didn't see their friends. This made them very worried. Even half-asleep, they were always able to tell whenever their friends came, so to have their hatchling here alone meant one of two things: either his parents were in trouble, or he had simply wondered away from the nest. They really hoped it would turn out to be the latter.

"Me think me should just take you back to family and…"

But Petrie never got to finish that sentence because, as he got up, he happened to glance at their egg and notice that it was already half covered in cracks. A second later, Ducky looked and saw the same thing. Suddenly, taking Bambo back to Littlefoot and Cera's nest would have to wait. They now had to make sure their hatchling was alright. Bambo, noticing after a couple of seconds that his aunt and uncle seemed to be totally distracted by something, decided to try and get a closer look. It was actually pretty easy for him to get close, seeing as how the adults were watching right over him. Petrie knew that he wouldn't be a threat to the hatchling. He actually got close enough to touch the shell with his horn when something suddenly poked right out of the top of it. This gave him a major shock, causing him to retreat quite a ways. After a moment, he recovered enough to move closer to the egg again. He only got a couple of steps closer, however, before the egg seemed to burst apart on its own and they got their first look at the hatchling. It was female, but beyond that, it was even more unique that Bambo had been. She had the legs and head of a swimmer, the beak and wings of a flyer, and her body was a perfect mix of both. Her color scheme was also unique. She had a mostly green body, but her chest was a light brown, her arms and tail were a dark blue, and she had one blue eye and one brown eye. In short, there was no mistaking that she was the hatchling of a swimmer and a flyer.

The hatchling looked all around before her eyes focused on her parents. Seeing them, she gave out a high squeak. They responded with a little giggle.

"What shall we call her?" Ducky asked, looking at her mate.

"Me think Terana sound good." Petrie answered after a couple of seconds.

"Terana." Ducky repeated. It sounded good to her as well.

It was then that Terana looked over and caught sight of Bambo, who was still a little surprised after witnessing her come out of the egg. Without any fear, she quickly moved closer until she was close enough to give him a good sniff. Bambo, seeing that she wasn't going to harm him, soon reciprocated. Terana then started running around in a little chase game, to which Bambo joined in with gusto. It was a pretty even match, for although Bambo was bigger, Terana was a little quicker, due to her swimmer roots. It took quite a while for the two kids to tire themselves out, but when they did, they both fell into a restful sleep.

Petrie and Ducky, having watched the interaction between the kids, decided to let them rest for a while before taking Bambo back to his parents. Getting into a more comfortable position to wait, they looked over at the hatchlings and, for a moment, were reminded of all the good times they had growing up in the valley. As the moment was ending, they both knew deep inside that Bambo and Terana were going to be very close friends.

**The End**

And that concludes this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it, just as I enjoyed writing it. I don't know when my next story will be published, but I have a basic idea of the plot. Here's a little preview to tide you over.

On a lonely path, a single sharptooth wanders aimlessly. It is obvious that he has been wounded in more ways than one, yet he keeps going. The elements batter him mercilessly, but he continues on. All that matters to him is his solitary quest. In his hands rests a single egg. He knows that it will hatch soon, but the sharptooth dares not stop. All he can do is trek on, hoping to reach his goal before time runs out. Reaching a tall mountain, he stops to rest for a moment before starting his search for a way thru; for he knows that he is now close to the place he spent most of his childhood. He finds a passage just before nightfall, and proceeds to enter it with no fear of what could be waiting. He quickly emerges from the other side and manages to catch a glimpse of the place where he hatched just before the bright circle disappears over the horizon. As he starts his climb down off the hills, he looks at the egg and says "You'll be safe soon…."


End file.
